Officers

SAY HELLO TO OUR 2023-2024 OFFICERS!

President

Mindy Fu

Hi everyone! My name is Mindy Fu, and I am your president for the 2023-2024 school year! I am a fourth year biology major with a huge love for optometry, and I have so much VISION for the things we will get to do together this year! In my free time, I like to try new foods, spend time with friends, hike, watch good movies, and volunteer. This year, I have been learning social dance and classical guitar as well. Waltz with me sometime!

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about shadowing/working as an optometric technician, how to prepare for optometry school, and if you just want to hang out! EYE am stoked to meet all of you POPStars!

External Vice President

Mindy Nguyen

Hello hello! I’m Mindy N. I’m a third year kinesiology major with a business minor from Austin, TX. I’m so excited to be your external vice-president this year.

POPS has many great opportunities and many amazing people. Through POPS, I found a passion for optometry and met some of my closest friends. I love POPS!!

Outside of POPS, I’m an officer for UT CS:GO and currently work as an optometric tech. My hobbies include concerts, video games, and climbing. Hit me up if you ever wanna hang out or just have any questions. I’m happy to help in any way I can and also, I can be your friend :D

INternal Vice President

ZOe LY

Hi, everyone! My name is Zoe (she/her/hers), and I am a third year Biology student from Houston, Texas. Aside from studying, I fill my days with lots of music, dancing, and food exploration. I also spend my free time watching romantic comedies and unhealthy amounts of Youtube.

This year, I will be your Internal Vice President, which I am super excited about! It is my goal to make some fantastic POPS merch for y’all, as well as facilitate socializing and mentorship through our amazing Optofam program. POPS has truly been such a great resource for me since I joined freshman year. I’ve learned so much about optometry and the school application process while connecting with the coolest people! I look forward to meeting everyone and sharing the joy that is POPS!

Secretary

Sneha Abraham

Hi everyone! My name is Sneha Abraham (she/her/hers) and I am the Secretary for POPS this year! I’m a third-year Nutrition & Biology BSA major from Houston, Texas.

In my free time, I like to play volleyball, try cooking new recipes, and binge my favorite TV shows while bundled up in bed. I also love discovering new food spots with friends and exploring the city! My experiences so far with optometry have been working as a vision therapist, an optometric technician, and of course, being a part of this wonderful org. POPS has not only provided me with opportunities to delve deeper into the field of optometry but has also reassured me that this is the career I want to pursue. Since joining POPS, I have always felt a warm and supportive atmosphere, and everyone has been incredibly kind. I hope you all have a great experience here as well, and I'm super excited to meet everyone! ♡

Treasurer

Britney DAM

Hi everyone!! My name is Britney Dam and I will be your treasurer for the 2023-2024 school year!!

I am from Austin, TX and a third year neuroscience major. Outside of POPS, I am currently interning at Northwest Hills Eye Care. Other than that, I enjoy traveling, coffee shop hopping, watching kdramas, trying new foods, and hanging out with friends! I have loved the community and support POPS has provided for me and I am so excited for another great year!

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have questions or just want to hang out!! I am looking forward to meeting everyone! :))

Social Chair

lauren thakur

Hey everyone! My name is Lauren Thakur and I am so excited to be this years social chair! I love optometry and am so thankful to be in this community with a group of people that share my passion.

I’m from Flower Mound, Texas (DFW) and a third year biology major. When I’m not studying and in my free time, I love to bake, play tennis, cook, and paddle board. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions about our social events, POPS, or optometry in general! I would love to help and also just talk and hang out! Hook ‘em horns!

Volunteer Coordinator

ELSA bhandari

Hey everyone! My name is Elsa Bhandari and I am your POPS volunteer coordinator this year!

I am a second year Biochemistry major from Dallas, Texas. Outside of POPS you can find me exploring Austin, trying new coffeeshops, or just trying some adventure I haven’t been on before! I am also very passionate about giving back to my community, and you can also often find me trying a new service project or volunteering!

Feel free to reach out to me if you’re interested in volunteering opportunities- optometry related or otherwise, or if you just want someone to explore Austin or grab boba with! I’m always just a text away :)

Historian

Trinity hoang

Hi everyone, nice to meet you! My name is Trinity Hoang and I am your POPS historian for the year! I am a second-year Biology major and I am from Richmond, Texas. Some things I like to do in my free time is to watch movies (I love Everything Everywhere All At Once <3), bake everything but mainly bread, and listen to new music when I'm by myself. Some things I like doing with friends is to go out to new parks and hang outside, but only when it starts getting cooler, and I'm down to try new things all the time!

My experiences in optometry right now is that I've volunteered for events that promote eye care for those that are less fortunate, and shadowing optometrists of different specialties to fully scope out what I want to pursue. In general, I've had tons of fun volunteering for a place called Sonder Hospice and scoping out different opportunities and events, but I couldn't have done everything without the support of the POPS members. They've helped me understand the overall journey to optometry, and have helped me with their experiences with classes, professors, and their knowledge of the optometric field in Austin. I am glad to be a part of a genuine, hard working group of people that really care to encourage others that hope to follow down the same path as theirs. This is a real team that loves one another and is always happy to help, in which I am glad to be an officer that can be a friend when you need it. I hope you feel comfortable here, and to let you know that there is always someone here for you in this organization. Thank you so much!

Officer Duties & Responsibilities

President

Be the official representative of POPS at all events, meetings, and conferences
Preside over organization meetings and activities
Initiate committees as the need arises, with the consent of the organization
Reserve rooms and plan for general meetings and officer meetings
Invite guest speakers
Organize all tours, field trips, and major events
Help keep officers on task and aid with certain responsibilities as needed
Send out all job opportunity emails to paid members when available
Keep organization’s documents and other miscellaneous papers together
Pass on all documents and miscellaneous papers to the President-elect
Be the authorized representative for all of the organization’s financial holdings alongside the Treasurer

External Vice President

Assume Presidential duties if the President is absent from meetings
Assist President in managing and coordinating meetings, events, and activities
Attend other functions in the President’s absence
Write "Thank You" cards to all of our guest speakers and buy gifts of gratitude for selected speakers
Carry out other duties as assigned by the President
Compile a list of doctors that are willing to let students shadow them
Secure sponsorships for organization

Internal Vice President

Oversee OptoFamily program and keep track of OptoFamily points
Design and order T-shirts
Seek out and be in contact with other university-affiliated organizations and departments as directed by the President
Create fliers for upcoming general meetings
Collect extra brochures and documents from speakers and pass out when necessary

Secretary

Create and update website
Take attendance at all meetings and events
Pass out and compile the info sheets on all members
Keep track of membership points for all events and meetings
Make the newsletters for each meeting and pass out to members
Update and manage the website regularly with announcements, member points, and other miscellaneous documents

Treasurer

Collect dues and keep record of all payments
Deposit money into the bank
Reimburse members for meeting supplies, t-shirts, etc.
Set budgets during the year including meetings, socials, etc.
Organize and oversee fundraisers
Be an authorized representative and keep records of all transactions with the bank

Volunteer Coordinator

Inform and remind members about new volunteer opportunities
Help promote volunteer events related to the healthcare profession
Be aware of possible volunteer opportunities throughout the semester
Communicate and coordinate volunteering events with organizations both on-campus and off-campus and update the President with logistics
Attend all volunteering events

Social Chair

Plan, manage, and oversee all social events during the year
Coordinate intramural sports
Plan end-of-year banquet
Manage and oversee all social media alongside the Historian

Historian

Take pictures at meetings and events and upload to the website
Create banner design for UH Spring Conference
Organize the scrapbook with help from members
Create banquet slideshow at the end of the year
Create signage, posters, and graphics for events
Manage and oversee all social media alongside the Social Chair